Fireflies
by Foxiscully
Summary: Ride on the continuing roller coaster lives of Cha Tae-sik and Jung So-Mi of the Man From Nowhere fame - 8 years later...
1. Chapter 1

_**Prologue**_

_Am I destined to live my life in darkness?_

_But I swear I will do it 100 times over, if only you will be the light,_

_over and over again…_

_This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License._


	2. Chapter 2

**To Breathe Again**

He stepped over the threshold and turned his face towards the sun, eyes closed.

He basked in its warmth and took a deep breath.

Even the air smells different out here, he thought.

After a long while, with only a paper bag hosting his worldly possessions, he slowly walked up the hill towards the bus stop.

It was half a kilometer away, but he preferred the bus instead of simply flagging a taxi down.

Across the street, a safe distance away, a lone figure watched him from on top of a gray scooter.

An un-obtused two wheeler that was marked by only a small pink Hello Kitty sticker. 

_This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License._


	3. Chapter 3

**Home as He Knows It**

"Welcome home, you are finally here."

"Neh, how have you been, Park Shim-yon-ssi?" he smiled in greeting.

"I've been good. Still the same," the small bespectacled book store owner returned his smile. "You are looking well too."

He gave his old neighbour one of his characteristic nod.

"Have you been to the apartment?" the shop keeper asked.

"Ani. Came here first."

"Arasso. Take your time here," the older man said, leaving him on his own, knowing that was what he preferred.

"Neh, thank you... and thank you for keeping the apartment safe for me."

_This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License._


	4. Chapter 4

**Memories**

He entered the dingy apartment, with his purchases at the book store in one hand.

In the other, was a bag of groceries he bought from the small sundry shop down the road.

The brown paper bag now tucked under his arm.

He was glad that the curtains were left drawn back.

Glad that any leftovers of the offence that happened there a long time ago, was washed away.

Instead, sunlight filled the small room, of which Park Shim-yon-ssi had kindly kept clean.

He looked around the meagre abode - and without any invitation, memories began to fill his head.

XXXXXX

_Eh, sausage? I like sausages too, you know?_

The words echoed his thoughts as pictures of a little girl sharing his meals with him came to mind.

xxx

_Really…I'll go home, once omma's friends are gone. I swear I won't make a noise._

And another picture of him giving up his warm bed to the same little girl emerged.

xxx

_Do you know what your nickname is? The Pawnshop Ghost. Guess what mine is?_

The girl could talk till the cows came home.

xxx

_Garbage Can. Funny, isn't it? The Pawnshop Ghost and the Garbage Can. Sounds like IDs on the Net, doesn't it?_

Her smile hid her sadness and desperation, yet she tucked herself in his bed trustingly.

xxx

_Ahjussi, thank you for giving up your bed for me again. Here's a present for you._

It was morning, and she had left. In her absence, she left him with one of his fingernails painted yellow with a smiley on top. And he had smiled then.

XXXXXX

I hope you are living a good life, So-Mi, he thought.

_This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License._


	5. Chapter 5

**Daisies for the Deceased**

He still looked the same, my Ahjussi, she thought as she peered behind the florist shelves.

A little older and thinner maybe, but still the same.

He still has the same short cropped hair she last saw him with, with his chisled face now sporting new lines.

While his quiet demeanour automatically gave that 'don't mess with me' aura, his aquiline nose messed up the totally mean look to give a handsome vision of a man instead.

He should be 41 this year, she thought. Yet he was still as agile as ever.

He left as silently as he came.

A bunch of daisies in his hand.

And dressed in formal black.

She knew where he was going.

So, she let him leave well before she did.

A little later, she started her gray scooter and headed north towards the memorial.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.


End file.
